City announces additional $150M to upgrade parks

A $150 million investment to revitalize New York City parks by 2019 was announced on Tuesday.

The new money raises the total amount the city will spend on upgrading about 66 parks to $285 million.

Black Rock Playground in Unionport is among the parks on the list for renovations.

The Community Parks Initiative is working with the Department of Environmental Protection and nonprofits to make the chosen parks more exciting, sustainable and interactive.

"We want to have more green spaces, more active recreation for both seniors and families and children to get healthy," says NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver. "I'm so pleased that the mayor and the council understand this and are putting the investment necessary to address these places and communities that have been neglected for two decades."

The program seeks to upgrade historically underfunded parks in densely populated areas.

Twenty parks will receive funding within the 2016 fiscal year, while over 40 more will be refurbished by 2019.